n. the principle that government action ought to be proportional to the ends achieved (e.g. the military should not be deployed to stop petty vandalism)
n. the degree to which something is in proportion
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The state of being in proportion.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The character or state of being in proportion.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)
n. a ratio of two quantities that is constant
Word Usage
"Second, proportionality is not measured by the number of civilians actually killed, but rather by the risk posed."